Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Understanding Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Generative AI

As we prepare our students for success in a rapidly changing world, understanding emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly important. AI is already shaping the world around us, and our goal is to ensure students are ready for the opportunities and challenges of an AI-driven future.

What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

Artificial intelligence, or AI, refers to computer systems that are designed to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. These tasks include synthesizing information and language, recognizing objects in pictures, learning from experience, solving problems, and making decisions. Essentially, AI allows computers to "think" and learn in a way that helps them perform various functions more efficiently. AI is already part of daily life in ways you might not notice. When you watch Netflix or YouTube, AI makes suggestions based on what you’ve previously watched. Navigation apps like Google Maps use AI to find the fastest route by analyzing traffic data in real time. Even your email uses AI to filter out spam and keep your inbox organized. These tools quietly make everyday tasks easier and more personalized.

What AI is not

AI is a powerful tool, but it’s important to remember that it doesn’t have feelings, consciousness, or personal opinions. It doesn’t think like humans or make independent decisions. Instead, AI uses algorithms to analyze data, recognize patterns, and make predictions based on the information it’s given. It operates under human direction and is designed to assist with specific tasks—not to replace human judgment, creativity, or the qualities that make us uniquely human. Understanding both what AI can and cannot do helps us to prepare students for a future shaped by these technologies.

Defining Generative AI

Generative AI is a specific type of artificial intelligence that has the unique ability to create brand new content. Unlike other AI systems that might analyze existing information, generative AI can produce original text, images, music, videos, and other media. It does this by learning patterns and structures from vast amounts of existing data and then uses that knowledge to generate entirely new and unique content, such as a story it wrote, a picture it drew, or a piece of music. Understanding generative AI is important as it empowers new ways of creating, learning, and solving problems, which are all essential skills for future careers and innovations.

Why is incorporating AI in the classroom important for your child’s future?

Thoughtfully introducing AI into our classrooms provides students with new ways to learn, and it equips them for a future where AI will play a significant role.

Future-Ready: equips students with AI literacy and the skills necessary to engage in an AI-driven world.
Personalized Learning: offers opportunities for more individualized learning experiences.
Enhanced Learning & Creativity: provides new avenues for engaging in productive learning and the fostering of creativity.
Empowered Learners: develops independence, agency, and confidence in evaluating, navigating, and using AI tools.
Critical Thinking & Digital Literacy: strengthens skills for evaluating information in a digital landscape.
Equity & Accessibility: offers greater opportunity to support diverse learners that improve learning outcomes.
Ethical Understanding & Responsible Use: encourages an understanding of ethical considerations and the responsible use of technology.

Guiding principles for AI use

Artificial intelligence (AI) offers exciting new ways to help children learn. The SCDSB is carefully exploring the use of AI to prepare students for a future where AI is increasingly present, and to build on skills from the Ontario Curriculum, especially the transferable skills.

The SCDSB has developed Guiding Principles for AI Use to help staff and students to navigate this technology thoughtfully and responsibly, preparing all to successfully interact with AI. These principles outline the key skills that will be developed, and the SCDSB’s commitments for using AI with integrity and intention. This ensures AI will add to learning (not replace it), that it is used responsibly, and that it is used with conscious consideration for its environmental impact (e.g. resources, energy use).

In the SCDSB, students will engage in AI learning through carefully planned experiences that are age-appropriate, use varied teaching methods, and balance time on devices with hands-on and collaborative learning opportunities.

Each guiding principle aims to develop students who are:

Frequently asked questions

Educators play a key role in shaping how AI is introduced and used in the classroom. While AI can support teaching and learning, it is not a replacement for the professional judgment, care, and creativity that educators bring to their work. As we continue to explore the use of AI tools in education, we recognize that each educator will engage with them in different ways and at their own pace.

Our shared goals include:

guiding students in responsible AI use, helping them understand how to use AI ethically, honestly, and with integrity,
fostering critical thinking by encouraging students to question and evaluate AI-generated content and understand its strengths and limitations,
exploring how AI can support learning, including designing engaging, inclusive, and personalized learning experiences; and,
promoting digital well-being, by setting clear expectations for safe and balanced use of AI and technology in the classroom.

The SCDSB is committed to supporting educators through ongoing professional learning, collaboration, and resources as together we navigate this evolving landscape.

AI may be integrated into your child’s learning experiences in thoughtful and practical ways, always chosen to enhance the educational experience and never to replace it. It won’t be a constant presence, but rather a tool that is added strategically when it adds clear value to learning.

You might see AI being used in classroom activities such as the following:

Personalized Practice: Tools like Lexia or Smash Education incorporate AI and adapt to your child’s learning pace. They offer practice in areas where students need it most and provide more challenging tasks when they are ready.
A Thinking Partner: AI may help students brainstorm ideas, create initial outlines for tasks or presentations, and act as an assistant to support the organization of ideas.
Research & Critical Thinking: AI can help students to quickly find and summarize information, allowing them to spend more dedicated time to critically evaluate sources, question the content, or engage in discussions with their classmates.
Supports for Diverse Learners: AI tools can offer accessibility features, like text-to-speech or translation, to support students with varied learning needs.

The use of AI will be carefully planned by educators to ensure that integration is age appropriate and supports students in their academic journey to meet the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum.

The selection of AI tools for student use in the SCDSB involves a thoughtful and careful process to ensure that each tool supports learning goals and aligns with curriculum. Most importantly, all selected tools must meet the strict privacy and information protection requirements of MFIPPA (the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act). Each digital tool used with or by students in the SCDSB undergoes a strict vetting process. 

Key considerations include: 

educational benefit
safety and privacy
age appropriateness and accessibility
ethical use
environmental responsibility

Not at this time — and here’s why. Instead of a single, one-size-fits-all policy, the Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) uses a set of guiding principles to support how AI tools are used in classrooms. This approach provides the flexibility to respond to the fast-changing world of artificial intelligence in thoughtful and responsible ways.

Here’s what that means for your child:

Flexible and Adaptable: AI is evolving quickly. Rather than locking into a fixed policy, the SCDSB guiding principles allow for adjustments and growth as new tools and learning opportunities emerge.
Context Matters: How AI is used in the classroom depends on the subject, grade level, learning goals, and the students’ experience with technology. For example, what’s appropriate in a Grade 12 computer science class might not be suitable in a Grade 4 language arts lesson.
Purpose-Driven Use: Teachers use AI tools with clear learning goals in mind. Whether it’s helping students brainstorm ideas, explore new concepts, or practice skills, the use of AI is always guided by what’s best for student learning.

This approach helps educators to support students in a safe, meaningful, and age-appropriate way — while staying ready to adapt as technology continues to change.

In the SCDSB, our approach to academic integrity in the age of AI is grounded in our Parents’ Guide to Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting, which is based upon the Ontario Ministry of Education’s Growing Success policy and the SCDSB’s vision for meaningful, student-centered learning.

We believe that learning is a journey — not just a final product. While AI tools can support that journey, they should never replace the thinking, effort, and creativity that students bring to their work.

Here’s how we’re supporting students and maintaining integrity:

Clear Expectations: Educators clearly communicate when and how AI tools can be used. If students are unsure, they’re encouraged to ask — we see them as co-learners in this evolving space.
Transparency Builds Trust: Students are expected to be open about how AI supported their learning. This helps teachers understand their thinking and ensures the work reflects their own understanding.
Process Over Product: Our assessment practices value how students learn — not just what they produce. Observations, conversations, and student work over time help us to see the full picture.
Empowering Responsible Use: We want students to learn how to use AI thoughtfully and ethically. If they can explain how AI helped them to learn more effectively, that’s a sign they’re developing future-ready skills.

Yes, it does—and it’s something the SCDSB is paying close attention to. Like many digital technologies, AI systems require significant computing power, which can contribute to energy use and carbon emissions. While our use of AI in schools is still in the early stages, we recognize the importance of being mindful of its environmental footprint.

As a district, we are committed to:

building awareness among staff and students about the environmental impact of digital tools, including AI,
encouraging responsible use and focusing on quality over quantity when using AI tools in learning and teaching,
choosing tools carefully, and prioritizing those that are efficient, appropriate for educational use, and aligned with sustainability goals; and,
exploring the potential of AI to support sustainability, such as using it to analyze energy use, reduce waste, or support environmental learning projects.

We believe that part of preparing students for the future includes helping them to understand the environmental responsibilities that come with using powerful technologies like AI.